Reply by upinflames

Thirty years I have been building fine furniture for my paycheck. There are so many misconceptions about poly that it boggles my mind. I agree there is a finish for what the piece will be used for, ANYTHING that MIGHT have a sweating glass or bottle on, poly, Polyurethane is not an EASY finish, it takes more patience than one might think, never thin poly to apply. If you want a semi-gloss or satin finish with poly, ALWAYS start with high gloss, then the final coat will be semi or satin. Done this way you will not lose your woodgrain and it won’t look like it was “dipped in plastic”. As far as yellowing, yeah, years ago it was pretty noticeable, nowadays, not so much. I use wax also, nice and neat, no patience required, just have to reapply every so often. As for finding the right finish, just depends on what the customer wants, if it’s for my wife, it’s what SHE wants….(keep momma happy).